


Remorse of an Adventurer 2: Tangled Paths

by DaringDanger



Series: The Huld Codices [5]
Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29228382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaringDanger/pseuds/DaringDanger
Summary: Things were just calming down for Hilda and friends when suddenly new challenges start coming from all sides: The Safety Patrol, Trolls, Witches, and the return of the dreaded Alp. What will become of the still recovering trio? What will become of Trolberg itself? This is a sequel to Remorse of an Adventurer, based on season 2. This is also a follow-up to the Viridescent Trilogy.
Series: The Huld Codices [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1453858
Kudos: 5





	1. The Ancient Evil

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is a bit cut and dry of the first episode of season 2, but expect less and less of that as we move forward. I strongly recommend reading Remorse of an Adventurer 1 before diving in, as well as the Viridescent Shadows trilogy.

_Perhaps it was silly to assume everything was settled. Hilda had found her way forward, often at the side of me and David. It’s hard to believe things could come unraveled so fast. It all started on a normal evening after school too_ _._ _I could never have imagined this._

Remorse Of An Adventurer II

Tangled Paths

By Daring D.D. Danger  
I: The Ancient Evil

*****Frida*****

“Don’t worry! We’re coming for you!” Hilda’s voice echoed behind me as we rounded the corner of an alley. We spilled back into the street and all fell silent. David, Hilda, Twig and I might never have been so focused.

“Help!” A small voice cried.

“There!” David pointed as it slipped under a car, into the street, carrying away the elf house.. It jumped through a gap in a fence, us diving through right after it and sliding down a hill the fence had hid. Gaining control of my rolling, I picked up speed as David fell behind. Then jumping out of the slide I pursued the creature as it darted into the trainyard.

Rounding the corner, all movement was gone. My vision settled as I looked for any hint. Hilda jumped between two train cars yelling and pointed out of the trainyard. A rustling bush had given it away, and we sprinted into the woods beyond.

Hilda and I ran side by side as evergreen trees whipped past us on either side. We quickly approached a gap and Hilda held out her hand. I took it and we jumped over the gap together.

We stopped and looked around for where next to go. The trees obscured the light, and we strained our eyes for any track. Our heart began to settle when Twig caught up to us, sprinting forward.

“Twig’s got the scent!” I yelled, following Twig down another hill. Twig slid into the crawl space under a small red house, and I followed as quick as I could crawl. I coughed a little as Twig kicked up dust in front of me. I heard some rustling and saw a shadow in the corner of my eye and crawled at the spot. Nearly there, the creature sprinted out from the crawlspace. I jumped out after it, fingers brushing the elf house on its back as it dashed away..

I caught my breath and heard a small sound as Twig approached. Looking up, I saw him sitting in front of me, the elf house held gently between his teeth.

“Call off the hound!” The little elf yelled from in his window, a bit of Twig’s drool running down the side. He set the house in my hand just as a bell began ringing.

“I’ve got you now!” A redheaded man jumped from behind the house with a pitchfork, before quickly lowering his guard. “Oh, sorry. You’re not a Troll.”

“It’s daytime.” I noted, with a little sarcasm and a smirk.

“Again, Sorry. I’m just on edge these days, what with Trolls walkin’ up to me house and such. Ate me goat, right in front of me porch last night.”

“Wait, there were Trolls inside the wall?”

“We’re not in the wall, little girl.” He pointed at the wall, and indeed I was outside of it.

“We must’ve run through on the train tracks. Do the Trolls normally get this close?”

“Only lately, I’m afraid. As if the Vittra digging tunnels in me field wasn’t enough.” Twig suddenly began gnawing on my leg. Only then did it strike me. I’d lost David and Hilda!

“I have to go find my friends, sir!” I waved with my free hand and ran back the way I’d come. It wasn’t too long before I stumbled onto Hilda, in the place we’d stopped.

“Hilda, why’d you not follow?”

“Look.” She said, still crouched low. I took in the scenery around me, as the wind carried a few leaves by. We were in a field of rocks.

“What is this?”

“Troll rocks. At least, I think they are.”

“Troll rocks?”

“Yea. Though I can’t imagine why they’d be so close to the city.”

“I just talked to the man in the house down there He said they walked right up and ate his goat.”

A moment of silence fell as we tried to understand what it all meant.

“We should find David, Hilda.” She nodded and we walked back a bit, to where we’d jumped the gap, and found David on the other side.

“Sorry, I didn’t think I’d make the jump.” David laughed nervously as Hilda, Twig and I jumped back over.

“It’s okay.” Hilda gave him a pat on the back as we went home.

**Later…**

*****Hilda*****

“Bye Frida!” I waved as Frida departed down the street to her home, and to return the elf to his neighborhood.

“So the Trolls were really that close to the wall?” David asked.

“Yeah, it’s odd.”

“It makes me want to shiver a bit.” David stopped abruptly. “What is that?” I looked to him, and then forward, at an odd truck in front of our home. It was covered in all sorts of weird gadgets, the most prominent looking like a harpoon gun.

“Trolberg Safety Patrol.” The badge at the back of the vehicle read, though I was too far away to actually read it.

“Hilda, why are the police in front of our house?” David said in an accusatory tone.

“I haven’t done anything!”

“David, Hilda, come inside! You’re late for dinner!” David’s mum was sticking her head out of the window. We ran up to the door and quickly found ourselves face to face with two people in maroon uniforms, with police badges.

“Hilda did it!” David blurted. The male officer laughed. He was tall, with long dark hair and a muscular build. The other officer, a woman, had a similar build, but was much shorter, and had fair hair.

“You’re not in trouble kids. I’m Erik Ahlberg, new head of Trolberg safety patrol, and this is Gerda Gustav. We’re here for Hilda.”

“Has she done something wrong?” David’s mum asked.

“No no no. She’s done something quite remarkable. She’s won our First. Annual. Student essay contest!” Deputy Gustav threw confetti behind Ahlberg.

“You didn’t tell me you’d entered a contest.” David’s mum said.

“We all had to do it for school.” David moaned as Deputy Gustav handed me a certificate. “It was on the perils of Trolls, and ways to prepare.”

“Hilda wrote a thrilling piece about how she was almost eaten alive by a Troll!” Ahlberg said with excitement in his voice.

“You what!?” David’s mum seemed baffled.

“It was before... everything.” I said softly. The room fell silent.

Gerda broke the silence. “You get to join the safety patrol for a ride along tomorrow as a reward!”

“We’re checking the Troll defenses!” Ahlberg added.

“Are you and Frida going to be alright without me David?”

“It’s just a library trip, Hilda. It sounds like your Saturday is going to be a lot more thrilling than ours.”

“Here’s the permission slip, mum.” David’s mom took the slip of paper, grabbed a pen, looked at me, to Ahlberg, then back to me. She sighed, signed it, and handed it back to Ahlberg with a small resigned half-smile.

“Until tomorrow, Hilda!” Ahlberg tipped his hat as he and Deputy Gustav left, taking the atmosphere of the room with them.

“Come on now, dinner!” David’s mum gestured David and I to the table. “Did your mum know about the Troll Hilda?” I froze.

“I didn’t tell her everything.” I said, moving slower than before

“Well, please tell me things like that in the future. I know I’m not your mum, but I still care about you, ok.” She smiled at me, even as her attention was on the steaming green bean casserole she was just now setting down. I nodded

“David, how was Frida’s place?”

“What?”

“You were at Frida’s today. I see you both have mud on your clothes.”

“We played a bit in the garden.” I noted, which was not false.

“Please wash your clothes tonight then.”

**The Next Day…**

“My essay was a broad historical perspective on Troll safety.” Frida acted as if she was bragging as we approached the library. “Still I bet riding along with the safety patrol will be fun, Hilda.”

“That Ahlberg guy seems interesting if nothing else.” I noted. I waved to the others as I turned towards the safety patrol building. “Have a good day.”

“Tell us about how it was when you get back.” Frida said.  
“Unless something freaky happened.” I smiled at that, and David smiled too.

*****Frida*****

“Do you think Hilda will get to ride in that dirigible that’s been circling the town recently?” I asked David as we passed through the library doors.

“A dirgable?”

“No, dirigible. The big new blimp.”

“Oooh. Maybe. I’d never ride in one of those though. The thought makes me feel sick.” Suddenly a book dropped in front of us and David screamed.

“I found your book.” The librarian had come up behind us.

“Why!?” David was hyperventilating.

“Because you asked me to.” She replied “Why else?”

Sitting on the floor was a very tattered old book, the title indiscernible despite the signs of large lettering. The spine had one word left: ‘Eden’.

“Eden?” David asked.

“This book does lack viable sources, and is really just accounts written by the author. But it’s the best I’ve got for you.” The Librarian noted. “It talks heavily about the Alp in particular.”

“Speaking of that, something odd’s been happening since I returned.” I remembered. “I’ve been lucid dreaming.”

“What’s that mean?” David was confused.

“She can control her dreams.” The Librarian answered.

“Lucky.”

“Except I always do it.” I continued. “Most people have to train themselves to do things like, look for a ball. I’m in control from the very start, every night. And it’s always in Trolberg.”

“It can’t be a coincidence. Have you talked to Hilda about this?” The Librarian pressed.

“No.”

“You should. In the meantime.” The Librarian flipped through the dusty book and stopped. “The most alarming thing, if this Eden person is to be believed, is this part.”

“The Alp has the ability to freely translocate, but only to places it’s been, or seen in dreams.” David and I read out loud.

“So it can just, change where it is in the world?” I asked.

“More specifically, because of what you told me, it can jump right to Trolberg now because of these dreams you are having.” The Librarian said.

“Did Eden say how to get rid of it?” David was pleading, clearly.

“They say it is only weak when it is feeding.” The librarian’s finger underlined the words as she read them, and I could feel David shiver in dread..

“You can read this book freely, but take it with a grain of salt.” She said pleasantly, like she’d just handed us a childs' fairytale. “And do not remove it from the library.” The Librarian vanished as quickly as she’d come. I flipped a few pages back, to the beginning of the Alp chapter.

“Like a Marra, but more powerful in every sense.” I read.

“Why did it have to be a Marra!?” David was shaking so hard a bug fell off of him, skittering under a bookshelf.

*****Hilda*****

“Hilda!” Ahlberg greeted me excitedly.

“It’s your lucky day!” Gerda cheered. “You get to ride with us in that!” She gestured to the blimp with both hands, still tied to the ground near safety patrol headquarters. “Let us go make preparations.” She and Ahlberg scurried over to their machine.

“It looks safer then a Woff.” A familiar voice said.

“Alfur?” I grabbed the elf from my hair. “Why aren’t you with your boyfriend?” I was teasing him a bit.

“We decided dating wasn’t… appropriate for us.” Alfur scratched his head a bit.

“Oh?”

“His world is much bigger, and older than mine will ever be. He actually left Trolberg last night.”

“Without saying goodbye to any of us?”

“He said he’ll be back, he’s just got his own things to do.” Alfur said. “We decided it was more appropriate to be something of a platonic couple.” I gave a raised eyebrow, and he continued. “Basically we’re like friends but way closer, just not... a couple.”

“I’m not sure I get it, but as long as you are happy.” I smiled at him.

“I think I am. Anyway, there’s a dirigible ride and a report waiting to happen!” He stuck his little pen in the air.

“Ready to see the city from the air?” Ahlberg yelled from the door of the blimp.

“I think so?” I replied.

“This isn’t too much like, you know what, is it, Hilda?” Alfur was clearly concerned.

“I think this shouldn’t be an issue.” I really did think that a blimp ride was not the same as a car ride. Just, in the air.

“Come on Hilda! We’re going to ring in a new era of security! And we’ll ring it in with the sound, of a bell!” Ahlberg pulled a hand bell out of his pocket and rang it. He led me onto the ship, a mostly empty space with a panorama of windows, engine equipment in the back, and captains chair in the center of a long control panel.

“Take us away Deputy Gerda!” The fair haired woman in the captains seat saluted us and the ship roared to life.

Once airborne I pressed myself against the window to watch the city, thinking about the drawings I’d made from Raven’s back a while ago.

“You can really see how far it goes from up here.” I noted.

“I think Edmund the Troll Slayer would be impressed at how much the city’s grown.”

“Why did they build a city in Troll country?”

“The Trolls weren’t doing anything with the land, so why not?”

“Coming up on the first tower!” Gerda yelled.

“Not much of a bell tower.” Alfur giggled.

“There’s not even a bell in there!” Ahlberg gasped.

“That is a violation of the bell tower act of 1892! All bell towers must be equipped with working bells!” Gerda yelled.

“And we’ll make sure they are!” Ahlberg held a powerful fist in the air. “We must check all the others at once!” As the blimp turned some gray clouds came into view. It looked odd though. Were these the weather spirits David and Frida warned me about?

“Maybe we should go around?” I pointed.

“Nonsense! Safety waits for no one. Engines to full!” Ahlberg commanded. Gerda began accelerating the ship. We impacted the clouds and the atmosphere became charged with electricity almost instantly. There was a flash of light and the blimp began descending. We slowly tilted forwards and I grabbed the seat as I lost my footing to the momentum and increasing slope of the floor. Ahlberg joined me in grabbing Gerda’s seat.

“Get control Deputy!” Ahlberg pressed.

“It’s not responding!” She replied, turning to frantically pushing buttons and pulling levers.

“That’s not good.” Alfur moaned. The ship began leaning to one side, and Ahlberg and I found new footing on one of the windows.

“Come on!” Gerda smashed her fists against the controls and the lights came back on. She pulled up, sending Ahlberg, Alfur, and I tumbling toward the back wall. As the machine leveled my stomach suddenly turned and so did my breathing. Pressure built up in my head and I began crying.

“Hilda!” Alfur ran back from wherever he landed. “Hilda you’ve got to stop hyperventilating!” Everything was happening all at once and I didn’t want to hear him.

“Come on Hilda. Focus on me. Breathe! Remember the exercise I taught you? Picture the Woff!” Alfur had taught me this thing, where I imagine a Woff, and that my breathing made the Woff float, so I needed to keep it steady. I focused on the little Woff in my head. Slowing my breathing felt difficult, like I needed to be doing it faster. In, and out. In, and out. Eventually fatigue overtook panic and I opened my eyes to Alfur resting his head on my face. I reached over and pat him on the head with my finger.

“Are you okay little one?” Gerda was kneeling over me as well.

“I think that’s the end of the flight today.” Ahlberg said, grabbing his hat from the ground. “Maybe we leave this out of the report.”

“I won’t be leaving it out of my report!” Alfur retorted.

**Later…**

“This is the anti-troll car! Full of anti Troll devices!” Ahlberg pat the roof of the car like a car salesman, beaming smile and all. My heart sank and stomach turned at the thought of riding in it.

“It has a bell, a shield. And 25 canisters of Troll repellent.” Gerda added.

“Hilda, it’s safe. I promise. Look, I even wrote up a document guaranteeing it.” Alfur pat my head a little, and I smiled just a bit at the thought. “I’ll be with you.” We entered the car and began driving the city. I couldn’t help but grip the seat a little.

The first stop was the docks, where a fisherman noted the only concern to public safety was the cod sandwich at the Salty Maiden. Sounded fishy. Gerda had promised to investigate it. Another had asserted Trolls could walk underwater and avoid the wall that way. There was apparently a dormant underwater bell from hundreds of years ago. I had to roll my eyes at all the bell talk, but it was all Ahlberg wanted to talk about. Finally, we’d found our way to a wooden shack just outside the wall, where Ahlberg was knocking furiously.

“Who mans this station Deputy?”

“That’d be me.” A man with a hood over his head approached. He removed it to reveal a full mustache and beard, his hair fading from a light black on top to dark gray on his chin.

“You are the keeper of the bell?” Ahlberg asked.

“For quite some time, yes.”

“What is the current threat level?” Gerda asked.

“I’d say kids cause more threat to the wall than Trolls.” The Bellkeeper looked directly at me.

“Have you seen any Trolls near the wall?” Ahlberg asked.

“Funny you should ask. Last night I made a sandwich.”

“What kind?” Gerda pressed.

“Cucumber I think.”

“That’s my favorite.” I noted.

“Enough about the sandwich.” Ahlberg said.

“Anyway I like to eat my sandwich on the top of the wall. Last night I dropped it and a Troll swooped in and ran away with it.” He began laughing.

“Why didn’t you ring the bell?!” Ahlberg demanded.

“Why bother? The Troll left.” I said.

“Hilda, this is official Safety Patrol business, not a race with pirates!” Ahlberg gestured for me to back away. Gritting my teeth, I did.

“I can’t believe Trolls like sandwiches.” I said to Alfur.

“But what kind of sandwiches!” Alfur was scribbling in his book, sitting on my ear. Suddenly I noticed something. I ran around the wall a bit, and found the train tracks from the previous day. Ahlberg followed me with Gerda.

“This is a security weak point.” Gerda scribbled something.

“I ran through here yesterday, right into a circle of Trolls.” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

“You saw Trolls? Near here?” Ahlberg was holding my shoulder, clearly excited. “Show me!”

I pointed us to the area the Trolls had been in, and sure enough they were still present.

“Deputy Gerda! Some photos are in order!” Ahlberg demanded, giddy with glee.

Ahlberg spent several minutes hamming it up with the Troll rocks as the shadows grew towards the end of the day, possibly too close.

“Ahlberg!” I yelled. “We should think about leaving!”

“No no, just one more. Come over here.” He said, and started posing me. “Now, look frightened.” I froze up as a troll towered over him, a boulder larger than its head held high. No sooner did Gerda push him out of the way of a swinging fist. Ahlberg smiled wide at my reaction.

“Yes! That’s very good.”

The troll chucked the boulder right at us, and at the last second Gerda tackled us out of the way. We tumbled together, and I watched as a second troll, it’s shell shattered by the thrown boulder, quickly engaged with the first.

“Glorious!” Ahlberg picked the camera up from the ground and began photographing the Trolls, now all rapidly returning to consciousness. One swatted him backhand like a fly and he sailed past Gerda and I.

“Gerda! Get the camera!” He yelled, bracing his side.

“Are you kidding?” He had to be kidding. As I spoke Gerda dove for the camera, only for a Troll to take it and put it on it’s arm, like a bracelet. I made a run for the anti-Troll car loud footsteps only just behind me. Gerda reached the car as I did, throwing me in, but I began hearing the dinging of a small bell. I turned to see Ahlberg ringing his little hand bell. I sprinted out to him and jumped up, grabbing hold of his arm.

“Stop that!” He eyed me like when I had earlier interrupted, and ripped his arm free. A smile spread wide across his face, then faltered, and he shrank up a little for the first time since I had met him. The Trolls had completely surrounded us. They all eyed us, glaring down with their featureless faces, with one emotion reading clearly across that blank slate: hatred.

Suddenly the sound of a bell rang from the car. The two headed Troll left the circle and picked up the car like a toy, flipping it on it’s back as they threw it at the ground. I grabbed Ahlberg and we fled down a nearby hill as the others looked on. Guided by it’s faint light we ran up to a farmhouse, the sound of Troll roars making my skin crawl. I noticed a hole under the building and slid into it. Ahlberg followed.

The Trolls followed, milling around the house like drunks after the bar closes, until another bell started to ring, and they left to pursue that. I jumped out and begun running, when suddenly I heard a roar behind us and looked to see Ahlberg, standing between me and the sprinting two headed Troll. I dove into a hole in the ground, and Ahlberg tumbled in after me, his bell clattering all the way down.

“You and your stupid bell!” I grabbed it and threw it out of the hole. “They just make them angry!”

“Exactly!” He replied. “The bells are a surefire way to rile them up!”

“You want to rile them up?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“All Edmund had to do was wander into Troll country and boom! He was famous. Today you need to do more than make a stand. You make history happen! That’s what I intend to do!” We began moving, and I realized we were in a Vittra tunnel. Something fell down one of the tunnels next to us, and Ahlberg turned on his light and Deputy Gerda was there.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“I think these tunnels run under the city.” Ahlberg mumbled.

“That’s a security breach!” She replied.

“I’m going home now.” I exhaled and left the officers behind me. Today was a huge letdown.

To Be Continued In: The Draugen


	2. The Draugen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references events that take place in Viridescent Shadows 3: Gemma Chronicles. I recommend reading through the Trilogy heavily.

_Ahlberg is nothing but a glory seeker, selfish and unwilling to stop chasing Edmund’s legacy at any cost. At least that’s what Hilda said. Why was digging dirt up on him so hard them? How did I end up going against an officer of the law? I should’ve just gone with David, Hilda, and the Woodman._

Remorse Of An Adventurer II

Tangled Paths

By Daring D.D. Danger _  
_II: The Draugen

*****Frida*****

“So you want to find dirt on Ahlberg? How do you plan to do that?” I asked Hilda.

“You had to ask.” David moaned.

“We’re going to find the Rat King!” Hilda cheered.

“Not again.” David buried his head against his dining room table, a bug falling free of his hair.

“We’ll have to take an alternate path, the main street into town is closed.” I had noted it on the way over.

“Why?” Hilda pressed.

“Something about protecting the borders. Ahlberg is having them fill the Vittra tunnels.”

“What about the Vittra?” David asked.

“They were putting up a good fight.” I responded . I saw a construction worker being tied up by them when I passed.

“We better go then.” Hilda said.

The route to the sewer was uneventful, something I never expected to say more than once in my life. We walked through the tunnels until Twig started growling. Rats ran around us on every dripping wet surface and soon the black mass with hundreds of eyes spilled into the room, like some kind of fluid.

“Well well!” The rats made a circle around us, David covering his eyes. “You’ve come once again, seeking secrets?”

“Do you know anything about Erik Ahlberg, head of Safety Patrol?” I asked.

“Maaay be,” it said, drawing it out “I require an exchange first.”

“Okay, fine, sometimes when I’m home alone I-”

“No. No secrets this time.” The Rat King stopped David from saying whatever secret he had. “We want a fried cod sandwich from the Salty Maiden!”

“You want... a sandwich?” Hilda asked.

“Make sure you get a good one, that’s aged properly. They keep them in the dumpster out back.” before it had even finished, the Rat King began spilling out of the room as quickly as it had come.

“Well…” I pursed my lips and looked at the others. David was still recovering and Hilda just shrugged.

The Salty Maiden was a slightly run down little place right on the docks of Trolberg. I’d only heard of it from some rumor the cod wasn’t... well, cod. Hilda stormed in ahead of us with Twig. She flagged down a waiter and asked him if she could climb in the dumpster. He just walked away.

“Hilda, I don’t think we need permission to go in the dumpster.”

“I’m not going in the dumpster at all.” David asserted.

“Woodman!?” Hilda suddenly was fixated on a small table near the entrance, surrounded by sailors and empty steins. We ran up to the table as a frighteningly large gentleman in white riled five dice.I’m not even sure what they were playing. The dice didn’t even have numbers on them.

“What are you doing in town, Woodman?” Hilda asked.

“From the looks of it, winning.” He said dryly, as he shook the dice and threw.

“Double Dragons.” A man in red said in a gravely voice. Another man in blue began crying as he pushed some gold and a hat towards Woodman.

“I’ll be going now.” Woodman said, wrapping up his winnings in some sort of cloth.

The man in red smashed his fist on the table.

“It’s bad sportsmanship to leave a game of sea bones after a big win.”

“But very profitable!” Woodman noted. The men began standing and assuming fighting stances.

“Hey, it’s bad form to beat someone up for rightfully winning too.” I noted.

“If you leave now you can never gamble here again.”

“That’s fine! I’d do the same if I lost that badly.” Woodman was already partway to the door. The fishermen grabbed Woodman and I and carried us out, and threw us in the dumpster, where I landed in something wet.

“The cod sandwich!” I picked up the smelly wet thing as David and Hilda came outside.

“Are you not being fed enough?” Woodman asked, hopping out of the dumpster. I was preparing to answer but he stopped me. “I don’t really care.”

“And you let him teach you guitar?” David asked me.

“He seemed fine at the time.”

“Anyway I’m off to find the Draugen.” Woodman continued.

“Wait what?” Hilda walked up and into his way.

“I’m on a schedule, I have to leave now to find them by sunset.”

“What’s a Draugen?” She pressed.

“Draugen are the spirits of drowned sailors who travel the seas on a ghost ship, forever separated from their loved ones. Also fresh produce.”

“And you think you can find them?”

“I truly hope so.”

“David, Frida, we should go with him to help the Draugen.” Hilda asserted.

“We’re already on a quest here Hilda.” I shook the cod sandwich.

“But those poor souls! On a ghost ship! Forever!” Hilda was putting her foot down. Literally.

“I’ll go with her Frida, just take the sandwich to the Rat King.” David said. I shook my head in agreement.

*****Hilda*****

David, Twig, and I sprinted to catch the Woodman exiting the alley.

“Woodman! We want to help you help the Draugen!” I yelled.

“Well, I suppose I wasn’t sure how I was going to sail my boat.” Woodman pointed to a white sailing ship, docked a few meters ahead of us.

“Is that what you won!?”

“Why’d you think they were so angry?” Woodman laughed a little. “Come on.” He signaled us to follow as he boarded the ship. “Not the Deerfox though.” Twig whimpered a little.

“If Twig doesn’t go, we don’t go.” I crossed my arms, David walked up beside me doing the same.

“Fine.” Woodman groaned as he reached into his sack. “He has to wear this scarf though.” Woodman tied a red and blue scarf around Twig.

“Is it for good luck?” David asked.

“No, but it’s adorable.” We boarded the ship and Woodman instructed David to untie it from the dock as he took his spot at the wheel.

“I’ve got it!” David yelled right before he tripped over the rope.

“Raise the main sheet!” Woodman instructed.

“Um.” I had no clue how to use a sailboat.

“The big rope.” Woodman pointed. I pulled the rope and the ship began sailing.

“What a lovely day.” I said, watching Trolberg fade behind us. “What do you think David?” I looked over just as David retched over the side of the boat.

“I agree with you.” Woodman noted, walking over to me. “It’s terrible.”

“What?”

“Draugen like to appear during storms, we’ll never find them on a clear day like this.” Hmm, that was a problem. I peered around the sea and the sky, settling on a single puffy cloud. I set to climbing the mast.

“Hey! Excuse me!” I yelled into the distance.

“Excuse you indeed!” The weather spirit turned to face me.

“Could I ask for a change in the weather? Maybe some rain?”

“In my youth, I would squall on cue. However I’m an adult now and I’m past indulging such requests.”

“They’re very snooty Hilda.” David shouted up to me.”

“Okay, I understand it’s now considered indecent to precipitate in front of others.”

“Indecent!? It’s completely natural!”

“Oh yes, but is it proper?” Suddenly lightning filled the air and the sky turned gray. By the time I descended I was soaking wet with rain.

“There you are Woodman.”

“Proper? We are elemental forces!” The weather spirit vanished into the stormy sky, complaining as it went. “We won’t bend to human whims!”

“Does this work?” I asked.

“See for yourself.” Woodman pointed at a large shadow, which slid into view. As it grew closer it began showing various holes and other signs of age, it wouldn’t be above the water if it was a real boat. It stopped beside Woodman’s tall ship, and a rope ladder dropped in between. Woodman was already climbing as I grabbed David and Twig.

As I climbed onto the deck, it was quiet. Covered in dead plant life, and riddled with holes. Woodman was eyeing the captains quarters.

“This looks unsafe.” David noted as he climbed aboard. Suddenly the ship gained an eerie green glow and dozens of ghosts with sea-foam green auras filled the deck, surrounding us. One with dead seaweed on it’s head stood high above the others and approached, sizing us up.

“Welcome aboard swabs!” She yelled and extended her arms in the air, her crew began laughing. She grabbed a stein from one of them. “Have some Draugen grog to celebrate your arrival!” She handed me the stein. I drank and spat it out.

“Is that sea water!?” I began coughing.

“Hilda why would you drink that at all?” David complained. The captain took back the drink, and downed it, although it just washed through her, onto the deck.

“We’ve been out here a while, we ran out of grog some time ago.”

“Is that a Deerfox?” Another ghost pointed with his only remaining finger. He had a whiny voice. “It’s bad luck to have a Deerfox on a ship. Everyone knows that.”

“Told you.” Woodman said smugly.

“We’re already dead Nicholas! How much worse can our luck get?” The captain complained, and Nicholas shrunk back into the crowd.

“Anyway. We’ve traveled a long way to find you, all so we could help you get back home!” I announced. The entire crew began laughing.

“Home? We don’t want to go home! Back on land we’d be simple ghosts. Out here we’re Draugen! Free to roam the sea to our once-beating hearts content!” She flew to the wheel at the top of the ship. “Who’s with me!” Her crew cheered. If they were happy out here why did Woodman come all this way? And where had he gone off to?

“This really isn’t necessary.” Woodman said, as another ghost carried him by the foot.

“I caught this one trying to steal our coral sextant!” The ghost held out the pink object.

“Woodman, you said you wanted to help the Draugen!”

“Actually, you said that.” Woodman corrected.

“I caught this one trying to escape!” Another ghost was holding David, who laughed sheepishly. The captain hit the deck with a thump.

“Is this the part where you punish us?” Woodman asked.

“I admire your boldness! We could use more of that around here!” She eyed Nicholas.

“Sorry I respect the rules.” He crossed his arms.

“We’re not going to punish you, we’re going to make you Draugen!”

“How exactly does one become a Draugen?” I asked.

“Same way as the rest of us.” The captain said with a serious tone. Before I knew it we were tied up and dangling over the side of the ship.

“Why do you and Frida like him so much?” David mumbled angrily. The winch dropped a few inches and stalled.

“It’s the Deerfox, bad luck.” Woodman said. Twig growled at him. The winch jerked downward once more.

“Sorry. We’re short on winch oil. I drank it all!” The captain laughed.

“I thought you wanted to help the Draugen, but you were just being selfish.” I stared at the Woodman as best I could, although he was behind me.

“Is it selfish to steal a magic coral sextant for my dining room? I’m going for a nautical theme.”

“Yes.” I said loudly just as a Bearfish jumped out of the water at us.

“I’d very much like to not drown or be eaten by a Sea Bear.” David was crying a little.

“Is there some kind of loophole?” I asked.

“No.” The captain said.

“Well...” Nicholas crept up, bearing a wide smile. The Captain stared daggers into him. “Tradition dictates that if a captured sailor can beat the Draugen back to safe harbor they will be freed.”

The captain groaned. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to race then?” She moaned.

We all shook our heads vigorously. Well, except Woodman, to whom the whole thing seemed quite the bother.

The four of us took to readying the Woodman’s boat as fast as we could.

“Ready! Set!” As the Captain spoke a canon fired from the ship, sending a skull shaped firework into the air. “Go!” She yelled and the Draugen ship took off. We began closing the gap as I stepped to the front of the boat.

“We’re pulling ahead!” I yelled as we cleared the front of the ghost ship. Suddenly the ship took to the air and leaped forward, gaining more and more speed.

“They did seem confident. Especially for a ship with holes in its sails” Woodman noted.

“Isn’t that cheating?” I asked.

“Do I look like I have a book of ghost rules? Because I do, at home.” Woodman said. I noticed the weather spirit from earlier in the distance and pushed Woodman off of the wheel, doing a 180.

“Are we running away and assuming new identities?” Woodman asked.

“I rather like my life Hilda.” David added.

“Hello!” I yelled.

“You again?” The weather spirit was seething.

“Sorry for sailing away earlier, you were making some excellent points on the true nature of weather spirits. Could you continue?”

“Really? You want to hear my opinions?” The rain suddenly stopped.

“Yes please! Hold nothing back.” The weather spirit cracked a huge smile.

“Any creature should feel proud of it’s natural functions-” As he started talking a huge ghost of wind propelled the ship into a 180 and then forward with renewed vigor.

“See? I’ve got this.” I said, steering the ship back at Trolberg. “David! Come help!” I looked and he was retching once again. He joined me holding the wheel after. I waved as we sailed past the Draugen, David and I doing everything we can to hold the ship steady as we passed the islands at the entrance to the harbor.

“On three David! We spin the wheel left!” Trolberg was edging closer and closer. “Three!” I yelled, having waited to long. We spun the wheel and the ship spun wildly to it’s side, water rushing over and spraying us, until we impacted the dock and came to a jolting stop.

“We won!” I cheered.

“You should tell the Draugen that.” Woodman pointed to the ghost ship hurtling into port.

“They aren’t slowing down. Run!” I pulled the two of them into the city and Twig followed. Screaming filled the streets as we ran past several people, the Draugen on our tail. I jumped over an old woman, who called us hooligans as we ran past. I hope she was okay. I pulled David and Woodman into an alley and the ship sailed passed. David fell onto the ground, hyperventilating.

“Why are they still after us Woodman?”

“Do you know anything that pairs well with pink coral?” He asked, admiring the sextant.

“Woodman!” Suddenly the ghost ship entered the alley and I dragged David back to his feet.

“Just take the sextant back!” I yelled at the ship.

“It’s too late for that! You’re joining our crew whether you like it or not!”

“This is highly unorthodox captain. Draugen are never supposed to return to Trolberg!” Nicholas complained.

“Shut up Nicholas! I’m trying to conjure a mood!” The captain’s voice sounded annoyed.

“Return to Trolberg! The Draugen are from Trolberg!” I yelled.

“Does that help us?” Woodman asked.

“It might.” I dragged him and David into an alley once again, losing the ship. I pulled us through a Vittra tunnel and towards David’s house.

“Hilda!” I heard Frida’s voice yell as she ran towards us. “The Rat King had no dirt on Ahlberg!” Of course not.

“Not now Frida!” I yelled as I entered David’s house, grabbing a tool from me and David’s room, and immediately fleeing the house again, as the Draugen ship sailed through it, leaving some kind of goo all over.

“Hilda what was that!” Frida yelled.

“Come on!” I gestured everyone to follow me.

We didn’t see the ghost ship again as the cemetery approached and I pulled the object from my backpack.

“A rune stick? Don’t we have enough Dead people on our hands?” Woodman asked.

“Stay here and stall the Draugen!” I instructed him. David, Frida and I continued in, and I set the rune stick down.

“Deep in the Earth, your moldering bones for posterity lay, but on this night they stir and moan, when you come out to play!”.

“Oh, hello.” David said to the Draugen crew that approached.

“Update!” Woodman said,held tight by a Draugen. “It’s not going well.”

Suddenly the rune stick began to spin, and the ground stir.

“What’s happening?” The Captain asked.

“Something I swore I’d never do again.” The first of Trolberg’s blue ghosts exited the dirt.

“Who do you think you are! Waking us all up at once!” The ghost who we’d wrestled all that time ago approached me. Suddenly he turned towards the Draugen. “Abigail, is that you?”

“Dad?” The Captain asked. Suddenly murmurs filled the area as the ghosts intermingled.

“What’s happening?” Frida asked me.

“Woodman told me the Draugen were separated from their loved ones. Since they were from Trolberg, I thought of a way to reunite them.” Suddenly all around us the glow of the Draugen started shifting to blue, like the other ghosts, and they began returning to the Earth with their loved ones.

“Nice job, Hilda.” David pat me on the back.

“Well, I’m taking this to my dining room.” Woodman pointed at the sextant as he left.

“Hilda?” A voice came from behind me. David and Frida began backing away. I turned to see a tall ghost looking down at me.

“M-mum!?”

**Meanwhile, in the Huldrawood…**

*****Twintail*****

“-four new deaths by blood loss reported just this morning. All the victims were found in their beds.” A voice on the radio said.

“Sounds grim.” An unfamiliar voice said. Suddenly every Marra in the Huldrawood was in the air, the clearing alight with the green from our eyes as Kelly silenced the radio. A woman entered the clearing. She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts. Her right leg was covered in some sort of tattoo.

“You shouldn’t bother Marra at night girl!” I said aggressively.

“Oh, I know that.” She smiled, her eyes turning green to match ours. “I’m just passing through town.”

“As you heard on the radio, it may not be the best time to be visiting.” Kelly said.

“I’m not staying long.” The girl said.

“What may we call you?” I asked. The girl stepped into the light more. She had green hair, flowing down to her legs.

“Gemma.” She said. Suddenly I took a look at her tattoo again. It was in a familiar text, although the only word I could read in it was the one on her upper thigh, ‘Alma’. The temperature dropped a full degree.

“Cool! Get out.” Kelly said coldly.

“Kelly wait.” I stopped her. The girls shut up. “You.” I snapped my fingers, creating a flame on my thumb.

“Oh!” Gemma gasped. “That’s certainly not something I expected to see.” The other girls were looking at each other, only Kelly knew about the soul fragment.

“Let’s go talk.” I gestured away from the fire with my head. Gemma followed me into the dark woods.

“Show me.” Gemma asked. I began drawing the Enneagram spell, which came alight with just the Alma flame.

“I haven’t seen this in many years. You’re Alma’s soul-bearer.”

“You’re Gemma of the original Nightmarish Nine.” I said, stamping out the spell. “Did you come looking for me?”

“No, this was a total accident. I’m here for other business.”

“I’ve wondered about you for about 60 years, ever since a ghost said the words ‘Gemma’s still alive’ in front of me.”

“A ghost?”

“Someone named Cicily.” I noted. Gemma’s hand turned briefly into a claw.

“I didn’t notice any evidence of Huld’s return after Cicily and my soul-bearer passed away. I assumed whoever came for them failed to get you.”

“That’s correct. Although I can’t take credit for putting Eva down.”

“Eva!? Like, my friend Eva?”

“The very one.” I said, remembering that night.

“Unbelievable.” Gemma’s hand was a permanent claw now.

“I don’t think you should stick with the Marra.” I said.

“I won’t be, I’m headed to a special place in Trolberg. But I wanted to warn you.”

“Of what? We’re Marra.”

“There’s another type of Marra. The Alp. It’s much more vicious than us, and not above killing people, and even other nightmare spirits.”

“I’ve been through worse.” I said.

“Alright. One last thing. What can I call you?”

“Twintail.” I grimaced.

“Did you meet Alma in person, Twintail.”

“I did.”

“I’m sorry that our mistake is now solely on your shoulders.” Gemma pat me on the shoulder, before taking to the sky.

**To Be Continued in: The Ghost**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got asked a fun question on the previous chapter, and I wanted to elaborate. Regarding Maven the witch hunter, from Viridescent Shadows 1. She’s not the same character as Kaisa. Maven stopped extending her life following the events of that story, and passed away. I named her Maven to allude to her being an ancestor of the librarian, who the fandom often called Maven before season 2. Maven had a daughter, who had several kids, one of whom was Jena, a character from Viridescent Shadows 2. Skip a few generations from Jena (who never had kids, but their siblings did) and you get Myra, also from Viridescent Shadows 2, who is Kaisa’s grandmother.


	3. The Ghost

_What do you even do in this situation? Has anyone ever been in this situation? Maybe dragging David away with me was the wrong choice, but I think Hilda needed to be alone for this._

Remorse Of An Adventurer II

Tangled Paths

By Daring D.D. Danger _  
_III: The Ghost

*****Hilda*****

“Hi Hilda.” Johanna said softly, and waved. I was having a hard time responding. There was too much.

“It’s okay if you’re not ready to talk yet Hilda. This has taken me a bit by surprise too.” She crossed her arms nervously.

“Why’d you have to go?” I finally yelled. Tears were running down my face.

“Believe me it wasn’t my choice. It was that buffoon who couldn’t control his car.”

“Why were you even out that late driving!”

“You ran away Hilda! The weather was freezing and I had no clue where you were!”

“You never came on one of my adventures like that before.”

“What about when you met Twig?” I didn’t have an answer for that one. I’d saved Twig from being trapped when I was a little girl, and in return he’d saved me from a wolf attack. “I just, I wish you’d told me more about the things you were doing Hilda.”

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re gone and it’s my fault!” I was fighting hard not to sob, but the tears kept running like streams down my cheeks as I held a stoic face.

“It’s not your fault Hilda.” She bent down and put her hand on my face, which felt cold and wet and hollow. I leaned into it a bit, and my head went right through her hand, and a weird tingle came over the areas that passed through mum’s hand. I cried harder. “There was no way for me to communicate with you but I was watching over you. Through the move to David’s house, the Black Hound, all of it.With an incredible amount of stress I might add. My only regret is that I didn’t get to finish watching you grow up.”

“Then don’t go back! You’re here now!” I begged.

“That’s not how it works I’m afraid. I don’t belong here anymore.” I think she was crying a bit too. “I know what you went through, trying to bring me back that night, thinking you should’ve gone instead, but those things aren’t what I want Hilda. I want you to be happy and adventurous, like you’ve been since you were a little baby.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone else.”

“You never hurt me. I’m your mum, I was just doing my job.” I finally broke down and began crying loudly, laying on the cold dirt. Wet, snotty sobbing like I hadn’t done since I was a child. I clenched and unclenched the short grass in my hands as my whole body shook from the weight of a sorrow I had never quite dealt with.

At some point she must have sat down next to me, and the shaking and snot and sobbing subsided, I felt the ghostly impression of her hand rubbing my back. And in some small, token way it comforted me.

“Why don’t we use this time to catch up on what I missed?” She asked, as the last tears came out.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.” I sat up, passing through her hand, and collected myself. It took her a second, but she moved in next to me, like she used to at home.

“I know it’s a lot for a little girl. Even my little adventurer. I’m very proud of you for staying strong enough to keep going.”

“I don’t think I’m strong.”

“Why not?”

“I spent months inside crying. David had to make me eat.”

“You were grieving, and you had no other family to help.”

“What about the cemetery?” I asked.

“Your heart was in the right place, just not your head. Don’t blame yourself for hurting David either. He jumped in front of you, and you both ended up okay.”

“I don’t know about that. I still feel like all I’ve done is hurt people.”

“You saved David and Frida from the Black Hound.”

“I’m not sure I want to talk about that, or the nightmare.”

“I don’t know much about the nightmare. What I do know is that healing takes a long time, Hilda.”

“How am I supposed to feel? I have no family left! No life!” I threw the rock that I held in my hand at a tree as a few tears slipped out.

“You have family. David. He’s been there for you the entire time I haven’t. and Frida. You still have your wanderlust and sense of adventure. You just, have to get back into the groove. Grief may never go away, but it will get better. Life will get better.” She gave a small smile, trying to reassure me. I looked away.

“I’m not sure.”

“Then promise me you’ll keep going until you are sure.” She put a hand against my cheek, and I let her guide me into looking at her. She was smiling.

“Okay.” I got up on my feet and extended my arms for a hug. Mum joined, she no longer had her warm embrace that I suddenly missed so dearly. I looked at her as her blue aura turned gold, and she broke apart into little bits, like stars and a whisper fell on my ear.

“I love you Hilda.”

I was left alone, hands empty. Night had fallen on Trolberg as I began walking the quiet streets. Trolberg had become familiar to me, not in the sense of layout, but in familiar things like trees and people who frequent similar places. Even the dust of Trolberg held a familiar nostalgia. “I love you too, mum.”

Main street generally was not crowded this time of night, except during the Raven Parade I suppose. I navigated into an alley which featured one of Ahlberg’s Troll Hotline posters. I ripped it down and crushed it into a ball, throwing it onto the ground. Finally I clambered up a familiar wall, to the spot I’d sat with mum at the Bird Parade. Trolberg didn’t have all the life and light that night had now, but in a way, neither did I.

I found myself distracted by a scratching behind me. I bent backwards so my head quickly crossed the sky, I swear I saw a Marra streak by before my head finished it’s arc and faced the alley, and the familiar upside down face of David. I rolled over and helped pull him up.

“No Frida?” I asked.

“She’s around the corner, checking your other frequent spots.”

“Did twig come with you when mum showed up?” No sooner did the Deerfox hop up onto the ledge.

“How did you get up here when I couldn’t with thumbs?” David asked Twig. I laughed a little. Twig snuggled into my lap.

“It’s cold tonight.” David noted.

“Winter is on it’s way.”

“So, are you…”

“Yes I’m fine. Or maybe I’m not. It’s a lot right now.” I trailed off at the end.

“For now, I think that’s okay.” David gave that same small smile.

“Thank you for being my family, David.” I said sheepishly, as if it was a failing somehow to need him, even though I knew it wasn’t.

“You don’t need to thank me Hilda.”

“I want to thank you. I promise I’ll repay you some day.”

“No need. You’re my sister, remember. I’d do anything for you.”

“Thank you. Really.” I pulled him in for a hug.

“Am I interrupting?” Frida said as she dragged herself onto the ledge.

“No, not at all.” I said, and I think that same soft smile passed my lips too.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“No. But for now I think that’s okay.” I said.

“I’ll trust your judgment Hilda.”

“David.” I said.

“Yes, Hilda?”

“You’re the best big brother I could’ve asked for.” A tear dripped down my face.

“I love you too, little sister.”

To Be Continued in: The Windmill

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna put a quick shoutout to Celeste here, for the inspiration of the Woff panic attack scene. Celeste is a beautiful little game and I recommend it highly.


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